


Friction

by absurdiist (workthewentz)



Series: Stucky Tumblr AUs [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, bucky's a nocturnal engineering major, i can't stay away from the Dream Team™, steve's a well adjusted art major tired of bucky barnes' shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-08-29 13:31:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8491621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/workthewentz/pseuds/absurdiist
Summary: Steve's neighbor is an engineering major who won't stop operating heavy machinery at four in the morning. Steve is an art major who just wants to get some sleep.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I got out my old fucking physics notes for this. I hated physics. Thanks for helping me procrastinate English homework.
> 
> This started out as a parkour AU, oddly enough.

Steve considered himself a nice neighbor.

He watered his neighbors' plants for them (so what if he'd killed all his own? Not everyone could have a green thumb), checked in on their pets (he wasn't sure if they were allowed to bring dogs to the university-owned houses, but he wasn't gonna report Clint for such a sweet labrador), and even put up with the occasional party (just because he didn't enjoy them didn't mean no one could). But even he was approaching his neighborly limit.

Steve tugged the duvet over his ears, groaning. He wondered if the guy that lived next to him was delusional, or just didn't care that he lived in a row of townhouses. The whirring noise of a drill stopped for just a second, and Steve perked up, peering into the darkness in hope that the guy would finally turn off the machines and go the fuck to sleep.

But apparently the universe (or maybe his neighbor) hated him because the second he settled down, the noise started again, seemingly louder this time. Usually, Steve wouldn't care. He'd bought earplugs for the exact purpose of blocking out the noise of the house parties that Natasha, his other neighbor, seemed bent on throwing and that Clint seemed even more bent on getting him to show up to. He'd tried those two nights ago, and they stopped the whirring. What they didn't succeed in stopping were the literal _vibrations_ Steve could feel coming from the machinery that the guy next door to him apparently operated at four in the morning for fun.

Steve sighed. He had a class in the morning. An eight a.m. class. He was paying too much rent for this. He threw his duvet aside, placing his feet gingerly onto the cold hardwood floor, and plucked his hearing aids from the side table. It wouldn't be so bad. He'd knock on the guy's door, ask him to turn the fucking construction site off, then walk back over and go to sleep.

It was cold outside, and Steve was already regretting coming over when he rang the doorbell. The house was identical to his, down to the exposed brick and dark green front door. The door swung open, and Steve did a double-take that he realized was probably way too obvious when the guy blushed. He was attractive. Like really, _really_ attractive. In the light coming from the living room, he could make out that the guy was a good half-foot taller than Steve, wearing only striped boxers and a nerdy t-shirt that read _'It's not the length of the vector that counts, it's how you apply the force.'_  He pushed his dark hair back with a shaky hand, and Steve got a good look at his face. He had deep-set, pretty blue eyes with dark circles under them, and his mouth curled up at the edges despite the fact that he was frowning. 

"Hi?" 

Steve tore himself away from thoughts of his pretty neighbor's jawline and realized he was staring. "Um, hi." The guy looked at him expectantly, hand propped on the side of the door, and Steve remembered why he had come over in the first place. "Sorry for how late it is, but uh, I've got a class and – your machines – the noise." Steve gestured vaguely inside the house, watching the guy's eyes widen comically and his red lips shape into an _o_. 

"I'm so sorry! I've been working on this _thing_ for ages, and I keep getting ideas for the movement-" He cut himself off, realizing that the stranger at his door probably wasn't interested in the logistics of his latest project. 

He looked back at the guy, which made him realize he had to look _down_ at the guy, because he was still standing on his front step. "Yeah, I can stop messing with my drill at four a.m. Sorry," he muttered. 

"Sorry, I didn't catch that," Steve said, turning his head to the side and pointing at his left ear so the guy could clearly see he had his hearing aids in.

"Oh god," his neighbor said a bit louder, and dragged his hand over his face. "You're hard of hearing, and I'm _still_ keeping you up? I'm really sorry. I'll stop."

Steve managed a sleepy smile. "It's okay. I have to be up in an hour and a half anyway, so there's no point in going back sleep tonight." 

His neighbor seemed to perk up at that. "Oh! Then do you wanna come in for a few? Coffee seems like a bad idea because I've already had three cups, but I can make tea?" Steve hesitated, so his neighbor stuck his hand out for Steve to shake. His hand was shaking - there was the coffee he'd mentioned. "I'm Bucky Barnes. I'm an Engineering major, if you haven't already guessed." 

Steve smiled and took the guy's hand, reveling in the warmth that contrasted with the late night - or early morning - chill outside. "I'm Steve Rogers. Art major." 

Bucky stepped back, allowing Steve to make his way inside. He looked around as he bathed in the warm air of the house. Like the outside, the inside layout was identical to Steve's, and it was weird seeing different decorations in what looked like his living room. He followed Bucky to the kitchen, passing a nice black leather couch, a flat screen tv, and a host of posters and framed photos. 

He leaned against the kitchen wall, watching Bucky pull a box of peppermint tea and a kettle out of his cabinets. "Could you hit that middle switch behind you?" Steve turned, noticing two sticky notes hanging on the wall above the light switch. _'Conserve energy, Barnes. Turn off the damn lights.'_ the first one read. _'JOKE'S ON YOU, WILSON,'_  the second one said, in considerably messier handwriting. _'ENERGY IS ALWAYS CONSERVED.'_ "What I get for agreeing to live with a conservation major," Bucky joked, noticing Steve peering at the notes on the wall.

"You room with Sam?" Steve asked, amused. 

Bucky placed the kettle onto the stove, cranking up the heat. "Yeah. You know Sam?" 

"We study for physics together."

Bucky nodded. "He talks about you. Didn't tell me his physics tutor was so cute. No wonder he didn't want my help."

Steve flushed, shocked at Bucky's offhanded compliment. The last guy who'd called him cute was Stark, and he hadn't meant it in a nice way. More of an, 'oh, you don't understand the ins and outs of electrical engineering? _Cute_.'

"I wouldn't call it tutoring, more like mutual confusion and ensuing gossip."

"Oh yeah?" Bucky asked suggestively. "What do you gossip about?" 

"You know. Cute boys, campus rumors, stuff like that." Bucky grinned at him teasingly, opening his mouth to be cut off by the screech of the kettle. 

Steve watched him for a moment, his mouth dropping open in horror when Bucky dumped two spoonfuls of sugar into his peppermint tea. "How do you handle it that sweet!?"

Bucky chuckled, eyes downcast, and Steve noticed how obscenely long his eyelashes were. "I guess I _like_ it sweet," he winked at Steve as he handed him his own mug, and it should've looked ridiculous on him but it _didn't_.

Steve flushed again, his face getting warm. "So which Engineering major are you doing?"

"Biomed and engineering psych," Bucky said over his mug, which Steve noticed had _'I'm an engineer. What's your superpower?'_  printed on the side. He was having tea at four a.m. with an absolute nerd. "How 'bout you? Fine arts?"

Steve shook his head. "Art education. Probably gonna teach high school, maybe the university later." 

"Sounds fun! I hated high school, so I definitely couldn't go back and teach." Steve chuckled.

"I did too, but my art teacher was what made it bearable in between all the bullying, so I thought I'd take up the mantle." He took a sip of his tea, then realized how sad he'd made the conversation when Bucky didn't answer. He changed gears. "What are you gonna do in Biomed?"

"God, I've got no idea," Bucky breathed. "For my thesis I'm in development with my project partner - Bruce Banner, you might know him – on this prosthetic. It's metal, electrical, ideally it hooks up to the brain and nervous system and functions like a working arm without all the buttons and settings of other prosthetics." His eyes sparkled as he talked passionately, and Steve smiled in endearment. 

"That sounds like it'll help a lot of people." 

"It will! We're working on it for wounded veterans at the moment."

After talking about school for a few more minutes, Steve yawned, reminding him that no matter how cute Bucky was, he still needed to have a power nap and get ready for class. "You should get some sleep," Bucky suggested, looking concerned. Steve waved his hand vaguely, but began walking to the door anyway. 

"Hey, do you wanna come over later?" he asked. "Sam was already gonna meet me, but we can skip the studying and just eat pizza or whatever." 

Bucky grinned, his smile lighting up his entire face, and Steve thought about how far gone he was already. "Totally." He walked Steve next door, ensuring he didn't pass out in the grass of their shared yard. "And sorry again about the whole drilling at four in the morning thing." 

"It's fine," Steve said as he opened his own door, not really wanting Bucky to leave. "I'll see you later?"

"Later," Bucky promised as he spun around, walking down Steve's steps and back over to his place.

 

For the record, Steve and Bucky found plenty of ways of conserving energy later.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay I had so much fun searching for science puns to edge in here. Nerdy engineer Bucky is a fun Bucky. I just stopped short of giving him this mug, I didn't wanna overuse the science innuendos. http://i.imgur.com/yJYpl0l.jpg  
> Find me on Tumblr @absurdiist


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